The past four years have been historically strong for the U.S. golf industry, with a net gain of more than 2.3 million on-course golfers since 2020. But what if we told you almost 10 times as many people turned or returned to golf over that time?

The midway point of the year — on the heels of a dramatic U.S. Open and Father’s Day holiday, and during the peak of the golf season — is a good time to detail how golf equipment sales, retail and the broader appetite for golf goods is trending across the industry.

June is Women’s Golf Month and an appropriate time to note that some of the most significant golfer gains in recent years have been among female participants. A near record number of women and girls played golf on a course in 2023, the highest participation levels in the U.S. since 2006.

The number of golfers traveling to play has been at or near record levels the past several years. And golfer surveys for 2024 show no sign of let-up when it comes to golf wanderlust.

It’s long been assumed that the traditional, green-grass golfer is golf’s best customer. But research shows it’s actually the committed participants who engage with the game both on course and off who really move the needle for play and spend.

The money golfers pay to play benefits courses and companies throughout the industry. But for the first time in a generation, golf courses are perhaps the business segment enjoying the greatest benefit from the game’s current surge.